1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a quick release apparatus, particularly one for use on a bicycle, including a tightening shaft including a screw portion at one end thereof, a tightening control device mounted on the other end of the tightening shaft and a clamp device mounted on the screw portion of the tightening shaft, for tightening an object between the tightening control device and clamp device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional quick release apparatus of this type, the clamp device includes a nut meshed with the screw portion, a contact element axially movable relative to the nut and including a surface for contacting an object, and an elastic element disposed between the nut and contact element. In the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Laying-Open No. 1981-304, for example, the nut and contact element are :interconnected not to be rotatable relative to each other, and are movable close to each other with rotation of the contact element. An elastic element mounted between the nut and contact element is deformed by the movement of the nut and contact element toward each other, for adjusting a tightening force applied to an object. The tightening force may be confirmed by means of an amount of projection of the nut relative to the contact element or an amount of movement of the nut on the tightening shaft. The elastic element used in this apparatus has a strong elasticity to provide a strong tightening force. Consequently, the tightening force applied to the object is variable to a large degree by a slight axial displacement of the nut. It requires small but additional effort to effect optimum adjustment of the tightening force while observing an amount of projection of the nut relative to the contact element or an amount of movement of the nut on the tightening shaft.